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© Shutterstock
0 / 31 Fotos
Can be used to make fabric
- The first, and perhaps most unlikely, benefit is that stinging nettles can be spun to make a fabric. In fact, their use as a textile goes back centuries.
© Shutterstock
1 / 31 Fotos
Can be used to make fabric
- During WWI, when a European blockade starved Germany of raw materials including cotton, stinging nettles were woven into fabric and used to make military clothing.
© Shutterstock
2 / 31 Fotos
Can be used to make fabric - More recently, German fashion designer Gesine Jost has used nettles to make items of clothing, attracted to the fact they need less water and pesticides to grow than cotton.
© Shutterstock
3 / 31 Fotos
May keep people awake
- Perhaps not a benefit depending on how you look at it, but some people say that stinging yourself with nettles can help you stay awake during the night.
© Shutterstock
4 / 31 Fotos
May keep people awake
- There are stories embedded in nettle folklore (yes, that’s a real thing) that describe Native Americans stinging themselves so they could stay awake for all-night vigils.
© Shutterstock
5 / 31 Fotos
May keep people awake
- This benefit should be taken with a pinch of salt, however, just like the nettle stories in Norse legend, such as Loki fashioning a net from nettle yarn to catch salmon.
© Shutterstock
6 / 31 Fotos
Can relieve joint pain
- More likely to be of substance is the suggestion that stinging nettles can relieve joint pain. Again, people have been saying this for centuries, but we now have hard evidence.
© Shutterstock
7 / 31 Fotos
Can relieve joint pain
- In 2000, researchers conducted a study to see whether there was any merit to the theory that nettles have pain-relieving properties.
© Shutterstock
8 / 31 Fotos
Can relieve joint pain
- The study showed that people suffering from arthritis in their thumb or index finger experienced more pain relief when applying nettles with sting than those applying nettles without.
© Shutterstock
9 / 31 Fotos
Improves surrounding environment
- Nettles also do great work to support the surrounding environment in which they grow. For starters, they improve soil that has been overfertilized.
© Shutterstock
10 / 31 Fotos
Improves surrounding environment
- They also reduce the heavy metal content in soil and promote biodiversity in the sense that they support various different species of insects, in particular butterflies.
© Shutterstock
11 / 31 Fotos
Improves surrounding environment
- Finally, it is believed that stinging nettles would have great potential as a carbon sequester if they were farmed commercially.
© Shutterstock
12 / 31 Fotos
Contains many nutrients - Nettles also have great nutritional value. For starters, they contain high levels of iron, even enough to rival more commonly consumed leaves, such as kale and spinach.
© Shutterstock
13 / 31 Fotos
Contains many nutrients
- They also contain considerable amounts of zinc and magnesium, and they provide more protein than many other green vegetable.
© Shutterstock
14 / 31 Fotos
Contains many nutrients
- Many cuisines from around the world already make use of nettles as an ingredient. For example, boiled nettle with walnuts is a common dish in the country of Georgia.
© Shutterstock
15 / 31 Fotos
May reduce inflammation
- There is some evidence that nettle has potential as an anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is important for fighting infection, but chronic inflammation can be harmful.
© Shutterstock
16 / 31 Fotos
May reduce inflammation
- In one study with 27 participants, for example, applying a nettle cream to an arthritis-affected area significantly reduced pain compared to the placebo.
© Shutterstock
17 / 31 Fotos
May reduce inflammation - Nettle treatments do not yet come recommended, however, since further research is required to confirm their anti-inflammatory properties.
© Shutterstock
18 / 31 Fotos
May treat enlarged prostate
- An enlarged prostate gland, otherwise known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), affects up to 50% of men aged 51 and older.
© Shutterstock
19 / 31 Fotos
May treat enlarged prostate
- Not much is known about what causes BPH, but it can cause significant discomfort and urination problems. Scientists are currently looking to nettle treatments for BPH.
© Shutterstock
20 / 31 Fotos
May treat enlarged prostate
- It is not yet clear how nettles compare to conventional treatments, but there are some studies that show they are effective in treating urination problems.
© Shutterstock
21 / 31 Fotos
May treat hay fever
- Nettles may have properties that enable them to treat hay fever symptoms, too. Test tube research shows that nettle extracts can inhibit the inflammation that leads to allergies.
© Shutterstock
22 / 31 Fotos
May treat hay fever
- Human studies, however, show that stinging nettles are only equal to or slightly better at treating seasonal allergies than a placebo.
© Shutterstock
23 / 31 Fotos
May treat hay fever - More long-term human studies are needed before scientists can confirm whether or not stinging nettle is a viable treatment for seasonal allergies.
© Shutterstock
24 / 31 Fotos
May lower blood pressure
- High blood pressure is very common, but it is a serious health concern as it can put people at risk of heart disease or stroke.
© Shutterstock
25 / 31 Fotos
May lower blood pressure
- Stinging nettle has been used traditionally to treat high blood pressure, and animal and test tube studies show that it may help lower blood pressure in several ways.
© Shutterstock
26 / 31 Fotos
May lower blood pressure
- Again, however, the effect of nettle on blood pressure in humans is not yet clear. More human studies are needed to confirm whether it can be used as a treatment.
© Shutterstock
27 / 31 Fotos
May aid blood sugar control
- The final health benefit of stinging nettle is related to blood sugar. There are both human and animal studies that link stinging nettle to lower blood sugar levels.
© Shutterstock
28 / 31 Fotos
May aid blood sugar control
- In fact, there are compounds in stinging nettle that are thought to mimic the effect of insulin. If this turns out to be true, nettle may be used to control blood sugar.
© Shutterstock
29 / 31 Fotos
May aid blood sugar control
- Further human studies are needed, however, to determine the exact relationship between stinging nettle and blood sugar control. Sources: (BBC) (Healthline) See also: Sustainable alternatives to avocado
© Shutterstock
30 / 31 Fotos
© Shutterstock
0 / 31 Fotos
Can be used to make fabric
- The first, and perhaps most unlikely, benefit is that stinging nettles can be spun to make a fabric. In fact, their use as a textile goes back centuries.
© Shutterstock
1 / 31 Fotos
Can be used to make fabric
- During WWI, when a European blockade starved Germany of raw materials including cotton, stinging nettles were woven into fabric and used to make military clothing.
© Shutterstock
2 / 31 Fotos
Can be used to make fabric - More recently, German fashion designer Gesine Jost has used nettles to make items of clothing, attracted to the fact they need less water and pesticides to grow than cotton.
© Shutterstock
3 / 31 Fotos
May keep people awake
- Perhaps not a benefit depending on how you look at it, but some people say that stinging yourself with nettles can help you stay awake during the night.
© Shutterstock
4 / 31 Fotos
May keep people awake
- There are stories embedded in nettle folklore (yes, that’s a real thing) that describe Native Americans stinging themselves so they could stay awake for all-night vigils.
© Shutterstock
5 / 31 Fotos
May keep people awake
- This benefit should be taken with a pinch of salt, however, just like the nettle stories in Norse legend, such as Loki fashioning a net from nettle yarn to catch salmon.
© Shutterstock
6 / 31 Fotos
Can relieve joint pain
- More likely to be of substance is the suggestion that stinging nettles can relieve joint pain. Again, people have been saying this for centuries, but we now have hard evidence.
© Shutterstock
7 / 31 Fotos
Can relieve joint pain
- In 2000, researchers conducted a study to see whether there was any merit to the theory that nettles have pain-relieving properties.
© Shutterstock
8 / 31 Fotos
Can relieve joint pain
- The study showed that people suffering from arthritis in their thumb or index finger experienced more pain relief when applying nettles with sting than those applying nettles without.
© Shutterstock
9 / 31 Fotos
Improves surrounding environment
- Nettles also do great work to support the surrounding environment in which they grow. For starters, they improve soil that has been overfertilized.
© Shutterstock
10 / 31 Fotos
Improves surrounding environment
- They also reduce the heavy metal content in soil and promote biodiversity in the sense that they support various different species of insects, in particular butterflies.
© Shutterstock
11 / 31 Fotos
Improves surrounding environment
- Finally, it is believed that stinging nettles would have great potential as a carbon sequester if they were farmed commercially.
© Shutterstock
12 / 31 Fotos
Contains many nutrients - Nettles also have great nutritional value. For starters, they contain high levels of iron, even enough to rival more commonly consumed leaves, such as kale and spinach.
© Shutterstock
13 / 31 Fotos
Contains many nutrients
- They also contain considerable amounts of zinc and magnesium, and they provide more protein than many other green vegetable.
© Shutterstock
14 / 31 Fotos
Contains many nutrients
- Many cuisines from around the world already make use of nettles as an ingredient. For example, boiled nettle with walnuts is a common dish in the country of Georgia.
© Shutterstock
15 / 31 Fotos
May reduce inflammation
- There is some evidence that nettle has potential as an anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is important for fighting infection, but chronic inflammation can be harmful.
© Shutterstock
16 / 31 Fotos
May reduce inflammation
- In one study with 27 participants, for example, applying a nettle cream to an arthritis-affected area significantly reduced pain compared to the placebo.
© Shutterstock
17 / 31 Fotos
May reduce inflammation - Nettle treatments do not yet come recommended, however, since further research is required to confirm their anti-inflammatory properties.
© Shutterstock
18 / 31 Fotos
May treat enlarged prostate
- An enlarged prostate gland, otherwise known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), affects up to 50% of men aged 51 and older.
© Shutterstock
19 / 31 Fotos
May treat enlarged prostate
- Not much is known about what causes BPH, but it can cause significant discomfort and urination problems. Scientists are currently looking to nettle treatments for BPH.
© Shutterstock
20 / 31 Fotos
May treat enlarged prostate
- It is not yet clear how nettles compare to conventional treatments, but there are some studies that show they are effective in treating urination problems.
© Shutterstock
21 / 31 Fotos
May treat hay fever
- Nettles may have properties that enable them to treat hay fever symptoms, too. Test tube research shows that nettle extracts can inhibit the inflammation that leads to allergies.
© Shutterstock
22 / 31 Fotos
May treat hay fever
- Human studies, however, show that stinging nettles are only equal to or slightly better at treating seasonal allergies than a placebo.
© Shutterstock
23 / 31 Fotos
May treat hay fever - More long-term human studies are needed before scientists can confirm whether or not stinging nettle is a viable treatment for seasonal allergies.
© Shutterstock
24 / 31 Fotos
May lower blood pressure
- High blood pressure is very common, but it is a serious health concern as it can put people at risk of heart disease or stroke.
© Shutterstock
25 / 31 Fotos
May lower blood pressure
- Stinging nettle has been used traditionally to treat high blood pressure, and animal and test tube studies show that it may help lower blood pressure in several ways.
© Shutterstock
26 / 31 Fotos
May lower blood pressure
- Again, however, the effect of nettle on blood pressure in humans is not yet clear. More human studies are needed to confirm whether it can be used as a treatment.
© Shutterstock
27 / 31 Fotos
May aid blood sugar control
- The final health benefit of stinging nettle is related to blood sugar. There are both human and animal studies that link stinging nettle to lower blood sugar levels.
© Shutterstock
28 / 31 Fotos
May aid blood sugar control
- In fact, there are compounds in stinging nettle that are thought to mimic the effect of insulin. If this turns out to be true, nettle may be used to control blood sugar.
© Shutterstock
29 / 31 Fotos
May aid blood sugar control
- Further human studies are needed, however, to determine the exact relationship between stinging nettle and blood sugar control. Sources: (BBC) (Healthline) See also: Sustainable alternatives to avocado
© Shutterstock
30 / 31 Fotos
The unlikely benefits of stinging nettle
From textiles to hay fever treatments
© Shutterstock
If you've ever been stung by a stinging nettle, perhaps while taking a morning stroll through the woods, you'll know it hurts. It's not exactly agony, but you feel it nonetheless. With needles and stems that essentially act as hypodermic needles full of histamine, it is hard to imagine stinging nettles as anything other than a nuisance. It is thought, however, that stinging nettles have certain properties that make them useful in a number of different contexts.
Curious? Check out this gallery to learn about the unlikely benefits of stinging nettle.
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